Letters From Home

You don’t become the founder of “Raising Kids on Your Knees” unless you have discovered the value of prayer. The founder of this impactful ministry, Tina Smith, shares with us her beautiful journey to get there. And every journey worth fighting for has bumps, and choices, and consequences, and the welcome arms and smile of God waiting, for those who are willing.

Romans 8:28-“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

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Topics Shared:
Privileged upbringing
Radical change of finances
Divorced parents
Secret abortion
Young marriage
Infidelity
Difficult public divorce
Single motherhood
Lifetime mentor
Second marriage
Triggers from the past
Blended family struggles
Abortion counseling
Starting a prayer life
Her war chair
Zoom Prayer 2020

Resources:
Tina’s Prayer Podcast- “Raising Kids on Your Knees”
Tina’s Parenting Podcast- “Not All Heroes Wear Capes-A Mom Podcast”


Tina Quotes:
“Lord, if this relationship cannot be restored, please set me free. And within weeks, he set me free. it was crystal clear.”
“You reap what you sow, but here is the deception. You don’t reap in the same season that you sow.”
“Single momming is hard. I have the utmost respect for single moms.”
“Second marriages are not like first marriages. There’s a whole lot of other nuances.”
“God began setting me free, and began healing me.”


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We would love to hear how the Lord has encouraged you through this story at [email protected]

For more everyday extraordinary faith stories:
We are on Instagram, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, iHeartRadio and all of the places podcasts live. Just type in ‘Letters From Home Podcast’ and scroll down until you see the rainbow.

God can take the broken pieces of our childhood, and not only make us whole, but He can make something beautiful, and living and thriving out of that brokenness. Jamie Bailey and her husband Chris have a marriage counseling ministry, Expedition Marriage, that is helping so many around the world heal. In this episode Jamie shares her story, and the remarkable, unimaginable way God put all of her broken pieces together.

Habakkuk 1:5-“Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.”

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Topics Shared:
Childhood abuse
Feeling unloved
Teen pregnancy
Teen marriage
Domestic violence and Jail
A new wonderful husband
Getting her G.E.D.
Saved after a Christmas play rehearsal
Learning to fall in love with the Lord
Three years of anxiety and agoraphobia
A move and a new beginning
Masters Degrees as counselors
Glorious salvation
Unexpected funeral officiant
Forgiveness and restoration
Expedition Marriage
5 Things Most Husbands Wish Their Wives Knew

Jamie's Podcast:
Expedition Marriage
Jamie's Book:
Newlywed Couple’s Devotional

Jamie Quotes:
“As hard as it was dealing with him, what hurt the most, is her not protecting me. I started to believe I’m not worthy of love.”

“I would not know Jesus if it weren’t for my husband. He entered into my life as a savior and as Jesus with skin on.” If I had not learned to trust his love first, I never would have been put in a position to receive the Father’s love for me.”

“Having a one-sided relationship with a parent is really hard.”

“I am somebody who loves big.”

“My hero was your villain.”

“It was at that moment the stamp was pressed upon me that says ‘you are not lovable’.”

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We would love to hear how the Lord has encouraged you through this story at [email protected]

For more everyday extraordinary faith stories:
We are on Instagram, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, iHeartRadio and all of the places podcasts live. Just type in ‘Letters From Home Podcast’ and scroll down until you see the rainbow.

When I think of who I am, before I think of being a Mom of 8, a wife, a daughter, a Grammy, a friend, a neighbor, I think first of being a child of God. Being a child of God, has changed me, in all of the good ways. And I am grateful. Over the last episodes of Letters From Home, I have asked each guest, the question, “what does being a child of God mean to you?” I trust you will be encouraged by every single voice, and heart.

-love, Meg

John 1:12-“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Audio Clips in this episode:
Cliff Ravenscraft Ep. 39, TJ McKnight EP. 38, Michael McDonald Ep. 37, Eric Nevins Ep. 35, Chris Staron Ep. 34, Glori Winders Ep. 33, Thomas Stewart Ep. 32, Dave Ebert Ep. 31, Holland Webb Ep. 29, and Josiah Glesener Ep.1.


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We would love to hear how the Lord has encouraged you through this story at [email protected]

For more everyday extraordinary faith stories:
We are on Instagram, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, iHeartRadio and all of the places podcasts live. Just type in ‘Letters From Home Podcast’ and scroll down until you see the rainbow.

At a new church, a self-proclaimed ‘nut job’ came up to Cliff and told him that he was going to not only be a full-time minister, but that he would minister to tens of thousands of people. In that moment he was stunned. As his life and mission unfold, you will see how this prophecy is fulfilled, in a very unorthodox way. Cliff Ravenscraft is a maverick minister, and his story will inspire you to carve your own way. He is an O.G. podcaster, who has over 5,000 episodes, has created more than 40 podcasts, and is responsible for teaching thousands how to podcast. He is also “The Mindset Answerman.” In his life today, he continues to influence many. He and his wife Stephanie help thousands “Free The Dream” inside of them, and break through limiting beliefs.

Romans 8:38-39 “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

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What Cliff shared about:

Difficult early childhood memories
Catholic schooling
The only non-catholic in a catholic school
Afraid to burn in hell
Saved at a summer camp
His experience in lots of denominations
Questioning his salvation
High school transformation
His mic drop walk out experience
Rejected by a girl
From 100% commitment, to completely off the grid
College alcohol to cold turkey
Meeting Stephanie
A crazy nut job tells him “one day you will minister to tens of thousands of people”
Marriage EOTC Bible Study Group “Cliff’s Clubhouse handle”
“Encouraging Others Through Christ”
Cell Group multiplication
Chartering a church in his home after a church split
Finding his calling

Cliff Ravenscraft Quotes:
“I have always had a passion and a desire to know about God and to not burn in hell.”
“He restores my soul and gives me opportunity to be in union with Him, all day every day, even if I am not consciously aware of it.”
“I wanted to fast from actually receiving the appreciation and praise of anyone in the world.”


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We would love to hear how the Lord has encouraged you through this story at [email protected]

For more everyday extraordinary faith stories:
We are on Instagram, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, iHeartRadio and all of the places podcasts live. Just type in ‘Letters From Home Podcast’ and scroll down until you see the rainbow.

As a young boy, T.J. knew he was called to preach. His mother, his dreams, and even a grocery store clerk, spoke these words into his ears. And he ran from this calling, like Jonah. For a season. Through the love of a once-in-a-lifetime friendship, and the gentle love of a Mother, God moved in his heart and life so much, that he is no longer running from, but running to his calling. And it is a beautiful thing to behold.

One Faith.

This episode is dedicated to the memory of his beautiful Mama, Yvette McKnight, his loving friend, Maurel Domingo, and his loving wife, kids, family, and church family.

Eph. 4:5- “One Lord, one faith one baptism.”

Topics Shared:
Happy childhood
Holt Elementary Durham, N.C. Step Team
Mom diagnosed with lung cancer
His Mom’s lung cancer diagnosis
Salvation
Mom healed
Low self-esteem
Teenage depression & mental health
Barton College Ministry
Death of his friends
Maurel Domingo
Preaching his friend’s funeral
Complete life change
His call to ministry
A hospital miracle
A last conversation
His mother’s passing
Lost and found
A Call to Ministry
A new beginning
The Church of God in Christ
Breakthrough Ministries The Church of God in Christ
Temptations Christmas Album

T.J. Quotes:
“One of my favorite rappers, KB, he said ‘King David , after he sinned, limped all the way to glory. I resonate with that.”

“He said ‘why are you doing this? you are better than this’…he took my drink that I had and threw it away and said, ‘I don’t want to see you with another drink at this party’…”

“When I was on the floor crying my heart out… and just really struggling and depressed… I remember hearing a still small voice whisper in my ear, saying ‘get up, everything is going to be alright’…and immediately I stopped crying… and I got up.. and I said to God…”

References:
Rapper KB, King David
Kurt Franklin “The Last Jesus”

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We would love to hear how the Lord has encouraged you through this story at [email protected]

For more everyday extraordinary faith stories:
We are on Instagram, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, iHeartRadio and all of the places podcasts live. Just type in ‘Letters From Home Podcast’ and scroll down until you see the rainbow.

Sometimes it takes a rough childhood, and the longing of a young boy to find a father figure, to inform his global focus and mindset. Changed by the love of his Father, he grows up to be a world changer, albeit imperfect. Michael McDonald is currently the Bible Project Director of Global Focus and Strategic Relationships in Portland, Oregon.

His story to get there is rare, and is a beautiful global adventure we are invited on. It is so easy for our homes to be self-focused and American-focused. His perspective will change you.

Matthew 5:14-“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.”

Topics Shared:
Raised strong Baha’i
Nelson, crazy wild childhood
Mental illness and abuse in the home
How the Baha’i faith shaped his views about God
Traveling alone at 14 and on his own at 17
Where he got his love for helping with injustice, compassion and women’s equality
Living in Turkey to find himself
His move from business into the non profit world
Starting his nonprofit, Hear The Cry
10 years + traveling with Bob Goff and Dream Big
His current work at Bible Project, with John Collins & Tim Mackie
His heart to bring Bible Project to the nations
Bible Project in 30 languages so far

Book to help our Global Mindset:
“Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes” Kenneth Bailey

Quotes from Michael McDonald:

“We started a number of schools, opened up some hospitals and some rescue homes for gals getting rescued out of the sex trade. We worked in Ughanda Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Nepal, India, different ministries in each of those places. So we find incredible local leaders that have a passion for one of those types of things and then help create some infrastructure and do that.” (with Bob Goff)

“I have been part of Bible Project since the beginning, because it has been friends that were working on this project. I saw the first two videos that came out in 2014, and just thought ‘wow, these are going to be an incredible resource for people.’ I was thinking of them globally right away, just because I worked with so many pastors and teachers in other countries that are starving for good Bible resources, and thought these would be a great asset, especially because they are free, and they are so well done.”

“The reality is Christianity isn’t a western religion. It was a Middle Eastern religion that is coming out of Israel…we need to understand history and context.”


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We would love to hear how the Lord has encouraged you through this story at [email protected]

For more everyday extraordinary faith stories:
We are on Instagram, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, iHeartRadio and all of the places podcasts live. Just type in ‘Letters From Home Podcast’ and scroll down until you see the rainbow.

Dare to hope. In 2020, so many of our hopes have been dashed. So much has happened. And yet we know that our God is a God of hope. I have put together this Christmas Episode to lift your spirits, to help us all, to dare to hope. And many of my podcasting friends have prepared thoughts for you too. Praying 2021 will be a year where we all, dare to hope.

Luke 2:25 “Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.”

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Here are the credits for my fellow podcasters from the Christian Podcasters Association in the order they appear, and their podcasts:

Monika Hardy “Moments With Moni”
Chris Staron “Truce” 
Michelle Rayburn “Life Repurposed” 
Brad Simon “Monday Morning Inspiration”
Char Candid “The Char Candid Podcast”


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We would love to hear how the Lord has encouraged you through this story at [email protected]

For more everyday extraordinary faith stories:
We are on Instagram, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, iHeartRadio and all of the places podcasts live. Just type in ‘Letters From Home Podcast’ and scroll down until you see the rainbow.

How long did it take you to find your calling from God? For Eric, it took him 15 long years. But he arrived. and now, he is living his purpose, as a 21st Century Virtual Visionary. Come along on his journey, from actor to seminary student, to family man, to call center, to podcaster, to speaker, to visionary and so much more. You will hear the journey of a man seeking to find rest and peace before a God, who was with him in his darkest hour, and the love of his life, there with him all along the way.

II Peter 1:4-“… so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”

Topics Covered:

Crazy birth story
Wanting to be an actor and a pastor
The value of having mentors
Awana love story
9/11 story
Going to Trinity International School in Chicago
Learning your craft and learning the business
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Hamilton the book
Young marrieds in college
His dark night of the soul
15 years to find his purpose
Denver Seminary, 9 years to a 3 year degree
Books that changed him
A story of how God provides
A story of how God is working when we don’t know he is working
Early podcaster influences
Halfway There Podcast
Christian Podcasters Association
School Shooting
Kendrick Castillo
Lectio Divina
John Denver and The Muppets
The Christian Podcaster

Great Quotes by Eric Nevins:

“Learn your craft, but also learn the business.”
“I think we have enough drama going on in the world that we don’t need movies right now,”
“Nothing says Christmas to me like John Denver and The Muppets.”

References:
Halfway There Episodes:
Skye Jethani #215, Os Guinness #217, his Grandmothers: Betty Lou Long #192, and Harriett Miller #191

Books:
“Satisfy Your Soul” Bruce Demarest
Richard J. Foster “Celebration of Discipine”
Dallas Willard “The Divine Conspiracy”
Dan Miller “48 Days to the Work You Love”
Sam Jones “Off Camera”

Podcasters that impacted Eric early in his calling:
Cliff Ravenscraft
John Lee Dumas
Michael Hyatt
Michael O’ Neil
Mark Marin
Sam Jones


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We would love to hear how the Lord has encouraged you through this story at [email protected]

For more everyday extraordinary faith stories:
We are on Instagram, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, iHeartRadio and all of the places podcasts live. Just type in ‘Letters From Home Podcast’ and scroll down until you see the rainbow.

Have you every wondered what it would be like, moving to L.A. to pursue your dreams of filmmaking? It sounds glamorous. But is it?
Chris Staron will take us on his own personal journey to filmmaking and beyond. Christian Filmmaking. His experience is that so few actually talk about what it is like to be a starving artist, especially in the Christian realm. And Chris shares with us that experience, the real struggle of being a starving artist.
We all get a peek behind the scenes, and will get to see some of the great lessons God has taught him along the way.

Chris’s Life Verse: Mk. 8:35-“For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”

Truce Podcast and Website: https://trucepodcast.com/

Topics covered:
Homeschooled twins
His faith story
Heaven’s Gates and Hells Flames
Bullied in high school
Upstate New York
Ithaca College Film Program
Sherwood Pictures
Campus Crusade Mentor
Interning on the Bernie Mac Show
Production Assistant on Hells Kitchen
Indie Movie Director
Bringing Up Bobby success
Writing his book, The Cradle Robber
The story of William Jennings Bryan & the Scopes Monkey Trial
Advice for someone being bullied
Audition tips

Great Quotes:
“I wouldn’t characterize Hollywood as necessarily anti-God, it’s that they just don’t know who he is… it wasn’t so much that they were against you, it was that you were an alien species.”
“we often glamorize those things, and hold up the success stories, but there is nobody out there talking about the real struggle of being a starving artist in the Christian world.”
“In most staunch conservative reformed churches, prosperity is there. We believe that nothing bad can happen to you if you are a Christian. But if you look at the Bible, the central character of the Bible is a guy who gets crucified for being exactly where God wants Him to be.”
“Paul gets shipwrecked and bitten by snakes and beaten and thrown out of town for being exactly where God wants him to be. So I think our conception of what
success is and what money is, is way off.”
“Yellowstone is not even close to being the best part of Wyoming.”
“We can’t judge our success based on the numbers and people’s response. Success in God’s eyes is being faithful.”

Chris’s Work:
Truce Podcast, The Elephant, Bringing up Bobby and The Cradle Robber and his own IMDB.

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We would love to hear how the Lord has encouraged you through this story at [email protected]

For more everyday extraordinary faith stories:
We are on Instagram, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, iHeartRadio and all of the places podcasts live. Just type in ‘Letters From Home Podcast’ and scroll down until you see the rainbow.

Contentment is rare. Have you been through a season of having everything? And how about a season of having nothing? The Market Crash of “08 affected so many families to the core.
And life itself can be a rollercoaster, especially when it starts out with every E-ticket in the book. As Glori brings you into her remarkable faith story, you will hear the moments that have changed her, and made her to be the content and grateful child of God, Mama, wife, Gigi and RV-living entrepreneurial nomad she is today.

Her heart’s desire is to help women “Redefine life on your terms and Live Glorified”
https://liveglorified.com/

Phil. 4:4-“Be cheerful with joyous celebration in every season of life. Let joy overflow, for you are united with the Anointed One.” The Passion Translation

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Stories Glori shares:
Parent attempting suicide
Parent threatening suicide
Lukemia awareness
Loss of a sibling
Growing up fast
When the child becomes the parent
How parenting changes after the loss of a child
The market crash of 2008
The real estate crash of 2008
Being an essentialist vs. being a minimalist
Loving who her family became through the journey
RV living
5 things you probably don’t know about rv living
Not having a Plan B for marriage
Never saying the ‘d’ word
Stewardship vs. ownership
Being a minimalist vs. being an essentialist
Business and ministry to women
Co-creating with her family

Great quotes from Glori:
“A lot of times the kids who are adult children of alcoholics can go two ways, they follow the alcoholic’s footsteps or they become the superstar, trying to be so perfect that they will make everything right.”
“the counselor friend mentioned that really and truly honoring your Mom is not letting her sin against you, and you allowing this behavior is letting her sin against you.”
“Tim got saved through the Amway business.”
“We were riding high. We were doing good. And then the market crashed and real estate crashed in 2008.”
“He even tried to go flip burgers at McDonald’s and they told him he was overqualified. He couldn’t get the job.”
“We had a lot of things. And we realized that we just didn’t have the things, the things had us.”
“We don’t say minimalist, we say essentialist, because if it is essential and you need it to do whatever it is God has called you to do, okay.”
“All four of us would say, we don’t like the journey we had to go on, but we all love who we became through the journey.”

Podcast: Seek. Go. Create. 


Related episodes:
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We would love to hear how the Lord has encouraged you through this story at [email protected]

For more everyday extraordinary faith stories:
We are on Instagram, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google, iHeartRadio and all of the places podcasts live. Just type in ‘Letters From Home Podcast’ and scroll down until you see the rainbow.